BGI Cuba Marsh Brushcutting

March 9 @ 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Northwest Cook and Southwest Lake counties contain over 16,000 acres of forest preserves, one of the highest concentrations of publicly owned lands in the region. These forest preserves, among the oldest and largest in the country, contain a variety of globally rare habitats including tallgrass prairies, oak savannas and woodlands, and wetlands that form the “Barrington Greenway” a connected system of preserves that animals can travel through to feed and breed successfully. These varied habitats need humans to keep them healthy and diverse through ecological restoration – “the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed.”

Here’s how it works. Each month, a different “spotlight event” will showcase a new site or restoration activity. In the winter, volunteers will cut and burn invasive brush that chokes out our native species. In the summer, featured activities include sedge planting and pulling invasives. Starting in September, weekly seed collecting will take place at preserves throughout the region. These seeds are then strategically distributed throughout the region to ensure that prairies and woodlands continue to improve.

All ages and levels of experience are welcome. Work side-by-side with experienced volunteer stewards and staff from Citizens for Conservation, Audubon Great Lakes, Friends of the Forest Preserves, Forest Preserves of Cook County, and Lake County Forest Preserves.